EASTERN NEIGHBORHOODS REZONING AND AREA PLANS

Transcription

1 EASTERN NEIGHBORHOODS REZONING AND AREA PLANS Final EIR Planning Department Case No E State Clearinghouse No Draft EIR Publication Date: June 30, 2007 Draft EIR Public Hearing Date: August 9, 2007 Draft EIR Public Comment Period: June 30 September 14, 2007 Final EIR Certification Date: August 7, 2008 GEARY BLVD FELL ST OAK ST CALIFORNIA ST VAN NESS AVE GEARY ST MARKET ST 9TH ST 7TH ST MISSION ST 6TH ST HOWARD KEARNY ST 5TH ST MONTGOMERY ST 4TH ST HARRISON 3RD ST FOLSOM BRYANT 4TH ST East SoMa BRANNAN 2ND ST KING ST DELANCEY EMBARCADERO DIVISION ST BRYANT 8TH ST BRANNAN 7TH ST GUERRERO ST 14TH ST 16TH ST 19TH ST VALENCIA MISSION ST 15TH ST 17TH ST Mission SOUTH VAN NESS 18TH ST 20TH ST FOLSOM HARRISON 23RD ST 24TH ST 25TH ST 26TH ST MARIPOSA BRYANT POTRERO AVE SAN BRUNO Showplace Square/ Potrero Hill VERMONT RHODE ISLAND 19TH ST 23RD ST 24TH ST 25TH ST ARKANSAS 22ND ST MISSOURI 16TH ST PENNSYLVANIA PENNSYLVANIA MARIPOSA 18TH ST INDIANA 20TH ST 22ND ST 3RD ST 23RD ST 25TH ST ILLINOIS 24TH ST CESAR CHAVEZ ST Central Waterfront ( Better Neighborhoods Program ) CESAR CHAVEZ ST

2 SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING DEPARTMENT SAN FRANCISCO CITY PLANNING COMMISSION MOTION NO CERTIFYING A FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THE PROPOSED EASTERN NEIGHBORHOODS REZONING AND AREA PLANS PROJECT, AMENDMENTS TO THE SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING CODE AND ZONING MAPS, AMENDMENTS TO THE SAN FRANCISCO GENERAL PLAN, AND ADOPTION OF INTERIM HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROCEDURES. THE PLAN AREA GENERALLY INCLUDES THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE SOUTH OF MARKET AREA ("EAST SOMA"), THE MISSION, SHOWPLACE SQUARE/POTRERO HILL, AND THE CENTRAL WATERFRONT NEIGHBORHOODS OF SAN FRANCISCO AND MAKING OTHER RELATED FINDINGS. MOVED, that the San Francisco Planning Commsion (hereinafter "Commssion") hereby CERTIFIES the Final Environmental Impact Report identified as Case File No E - Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans Project (hereinafter "Project") based upon the following findings: 1650 Mission SI. Suite 400 San Francisco, CA Reception: Fax: Planning Information: ) The City and County of San Francisco, actig though the Planing Department (hereinafter "Department") fulfiled all procedural requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CaL. Pub. Res. Code Sections et seq., hereinafter "CEQA"), the State CEQA Guidelines (CaL. Admi. Code Title 14, Sections et. seq., (hereinafter "CEQA Guidelines") and Chapter 31 of the San Francisco Admiistrative Code (hereinafter "Chapter 31"). a. The Cityide Group of the Department filed for environmental evaluation on February 19, 2004 and the Major Environmental Analysis section of the Department determied that an Environmental Impact Report (hereinafter "EIR") was required and provided public notice of that determation by publication in a newspaper of general circulation on March 9, b. Notice of Completion was filed with the State Secretary of Resources via the State Clearinghouse on March 9, c. On June 30, 2007, the Department published the Draft Environmental Impact Report ("DEIR") and provided public notice in a newspaper of general circulation of the availability of the document for public review and comment and of the date and tie of the Planning Commssion public hearing on the DEIR; this notice was mailed to the Department's list of persons requesting such notice.

3 August 7, 2008 File No: E Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning & Area Plans Motion No d. On June 30, 2007, copies of the DEIR were mailed or otherwise delivered to a list of persons requesting it, to those noted on the distribution list in the DEIR, and to governent agencies, the latter both directly and through the State Clearinghouse. e. Notices of Availabilty of the DEIR and of the date and tie of the public hearings were posted on the Planning Department's website and also in various locations in the project area by Department staff on June 30, ) The Commsion held a duly advertied public hearing on the DEIR on August 9, 2007 at which tie opportuity for public comment was given, and public comment was received on the DEIR. The period for acceptance of written comments ended on September 14, ) The Department prepared responses to comments on environmental issues received at the public hearing and in writig on the DEIR, prepared revisions to the text of the DEIR in response to comments received or based on additional information that became available during the public review period, corrected errors in the DEIR, and prepared impact analysis for proposed revisions to the Area Plans. This material was presented in a Comments and Responses document, published on May 29, 2008, was distributed to the Commsion and to all parties who commented on the DEIR, and was available to others upon request at Department offices and web site. 4) A Final Environmental Impact Report has been prepared by the Department, consistig of the DEIR, any consultations and comments received during the review process, any additional information that became available, and the Sumary of Comments and Responses all as required by law ("FEIR"). 5) Project environmental files have been made available for review by the Commssion and the public. These fies are available for public review at the Department offices at 1650 Mission Street, Suite 400, and are part of the record before the Commission. 6) On August 7, 2008, the Commsion reviewed and considered the FEIR and hereby does find that the contents of said report and the procedures through which the FEIR was prepared, publicized and reviewed comply with the provisions of CEQA, the CEQA Guidelines and Chapter 31 of the San Francisco Admiistrative Code. 7) The Planning Commission hereby does find that the FEIR concerning Case File No E - Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans Project reflects the independent judgment and analysis of the City and County of San Francisco, is adequate, accurate and objective. The Commission also finds that since publication of the DEIR there has been no significant new information or SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING DEPARTMENT 2

4 August 7, 2008 File No: E Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning & Area Plans Motion No other factors that would require recirculation of the document pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section Information to support this conclusion is found in the Final EIR document, which includes the Comments and Responses and in Department staff analysis. In furtherance of the above findings, the Planning Commssion hereby does CERTIFY THE COMPLETION of said Final Environmental Impact Report in compliance with CEQA, the CEQA Guidelines, and Chapter 31. The Commssion, in certifying the completion of the FEIR, hereby does find that the proposed project described in the FEIR would have the following significant unavoidable environmental impacts, which could not be mitigated to a level of non-significance: a. The Preferred Project would result in a potentially significant, adverse cumulative land use impact related to the loss of Production, Distribution and Repair land supply and building space as identified for EIR Option C. b. The Preferred Project would result in a significant, adverse transit impact on Muni service affectig the following seven lines: 9-San Bruo, 22- Fillmore, 26-Valencia, 27-Bryant, 33-Stanyan, 48-Quintara, 49-Van Ness / Mission. c. A significant, adverse transportation impact to the following intersections would occur under Preferred Project conditions: 13th/Bryant, South Van Ness/Howard/13th, Seventh/Brannan, Seventh/Townsend, Eight/Brannan, Eighth/Bryant, Eighth/Harrison, Third/César Chávez, and César Chávez/Evans. d. A significant, adverse environmental impact related to historical architectural resources would occur under Preferred Project conditions. Demolition or significant alteration of buildings that are identified as historical resources, potential resources or age-eligible properties could be anticipated to occur as a result of development secondary to project implementation. The EIR also identifies a significant, adverse cumulative impact related to the demolition, alteration, or other changes to one or more resources (including historic districts), such that the historical significance of those resources would be "materially impaired." e. A significant, adverse environmental impact related to potential shading of parks and public open spaces under the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department would occur under Preferred Project conditions, because the feasibility of complete mitigation for potential new shadow impacts of currently unknown development proposals cannot be known at this time. SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING DEPARTMENT 3

5 August 7, 2008 File No: E Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning & Area Plans Motion No I hereby certify that the foregoing Motion was ADOPTED by the Planning Commission on August 7, ~~:L d-~ // Linda Avery Planning Commssion Secretary AYES: NOES: ABSENT: EXCUSED: ACTION: Borden, More, Lee, Olague None None Antonini, Miguel, Sugaya Certification of the Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans FEIR SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING DEPARTMENT 4

6 EASTERN NEIGHBORHOODS REZONING AND AREA PLANS Final EIR Planning Department Case No E State Clearinghouse No Draft EIR Publication Date: June 30, 2007 Draft EIR Public Hearing Date: August 9, 2007 Draft EIR Public Comment Period: June 30 September 14, 2007 Final EIR Certification Date: August 7, 2008 Changes from the Draft EIR text are indicated by a dot ( ) in the left margin (adjacent to page number for added pages and figures; adjacent to table number for tables). This document printed on recycled paper.

7 TABLE OF CONTENTS Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans Final Environmental Impact Report Page I. INTRODUCTION I-1 A. Environmental Review I-1 B. Purpose of This EIR I-2 C. Organization of the Draft EIR I-4 D. Public Participation I-5 E. Related Studies I-5 F. Concurrent Planning Efforts I-7 II. SUMMARY S-1 III. PROJECT DESCRIPTION 1 A. Overview and Project Sponsor s Objectives 1 B. Background 4 C. Project Components 6 D. Approvals Required 27 IV. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING AND IMPACTS 29 Analysis Assumptions 29 A. Land Use 35 B. Plans and Policies 83 C. Visual Quality and Urban Design 129 D. Population, Housing, Business Activity, and Employment (Growth Inducement) 175 E. Transportation 253 F. Noise 303 G. Air Quality 323 H. Parks, Recreation and Open Space 363 I. Shadow 380 J. Archeological Resources 419 K. Historic Architectural Resources 441 L. Hazards 475 M. Other Issues Not Addressed in the Initial Study 500 V. MITIGATION MEASURES 501 VI. SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS THAT CANNOT BE AVOIDED 526 IF THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS IMPLEMENTED VII. ALTERNATIVES TO THE PROPOSED PROJECT 531 Case No E ii Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans

8 Table Of Contents Page VIII. COMMENTS AND RESPONSES C&R-i IX. APPENDICES A. Initial Study B. Draft Area Plan Objectives and Policies C. Public Health Effects Related to Air Quality X. EIR AUTHORS AND CONSULTANTS LIST OF FIGURES 1. Project Location 2 2. Existing Zoning 8 3. Proposed Use Districts Existing Height and Bulk Limits Proposed Height Limits Existing Concentrations of PDR Businesses Existing Land Use East SoMa Existing Land Use Mission Existing Land Use Showplace Square/Potrero Hill Existing Land Use Central Waterfront Recent Major Residential Development in San Francisco, Single-Room Occupancy Hotels in San Francisco Public Housing in San Francisco PDR Businesses on Land Currently Zoned for Industrial Uses 218 and Subject to Rezoning 15. Production, Distribution, and Repair Employment by Location Study Intersections Traffic Noise Levels Street Noise Levels Land Use Compatibility Chart for Community Noise Parks and Recreation Facilities and Service Areas Service Area Gaps and Areas of Highest Need Height Change East SoMa, Options A & B Height Change East SoMa, Option C Height Change Mission, Option A & C Height Change Mission, Option B Height Change Showplace Square/Potrero Hill, Options A & C Height Change Showplace Square/Potrero Hill, Option B Height Change Central Waterfront, Options A, B & C Archeological Mitigation Zones Historic Resources in the Eastern Neighborhoods Potential SoMa Historic Districts, Extended Preservation District, and Study Areas Mission District Historic Districts and Study Areas Potential Plan Impacts to Historic Resources: East SoMa Potential Plan Impacts to Historic Resources: Mission Potential Plan Impacts to Historic Resources: Showplace Square/Potrero Hill Potential Plan Impacts to Historic Resources: Central Waterfront 472 Case No E iii Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans

9 Table Of Contents LIST OF TABLES Page 1. Correspondence Table for Proposed Zoning Districts Forecast Growth by Rezoning Option Eastern Neighborhoods Acres by Land Use by percent of Citywide Total East SoMa Acres by Land Use Category Pipeline Projects East SoMa Mission Acres by Land Use Category Pipeline Projects Mission Showplace Square/Potrero Hill Acres by Land Use Category Pipeline Projects: Showplace Square/Potrero Hill Central Waterfront Acres by Land Use Category Pipeline Projects Central Waterfront Eastern Neighborhoods: Projected Residential Units and Non-Residential 58 Floor Area, East SoMa: Projected Residential Units and Non-Residential Floor Area, Mission: Projected Residential Units and Non-Residential Floor Area, Showplace Square/Potrero Hill: Projected Residential Units and 77 Non-Residential Floor Area, Central Waterfront: Projected Residential Units and Non-Residential 80 Floor Area, Population Estimates for San Francisco Components of Change for San Francisco Population Estimates Population in the Eastern Neighborhoods and in San Francisco, Housing Inventory in the Eastern Neighborhoods and in San Francisco, Housing Production Trends, Live/Work Completed, 1987 June Profile of Vacant Housing Units, Sales Prices for Housing by Neighborhood, Housing Prices Compared to Household Income, by Neighborhood, Listing Rents Compared to Household Income, by Neighborhood, Employment Status of the working-age population, Top Ten Occupations for Workers Living in San Francisco, 208 the Eastern Neighborhoods, and Western SoMa (in terms of numbers employed) 29. Top four industry sectors for Workers Living in San Francisco, 211 the Eastern Neighborhoods and Western SoMa (in terms of numbers employed) 30. Employment by Business Activity for the Eastern Neighborhoods and 213 the Rest of the City, Regional Scenario for Household Population, Households, and Employment: , 2000, and No-Project Scenario for the Eastern Neighborhoods and the Rest of 224 the City Households and Household Population No-Project Scenario for the Eastern Neighborhoods and the Rest of the City Employment Housing Production Targets, 1999 June 2006 and Actual Production, Including Acquisition and Rehabilitation of Existing Units as Permitted by HCD Guidelines 35. Rezoning Scenario for the Eastern Neighborhoods and the Rest of 232 the City Households and Household Population, Case No E iv Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans

10 Table Of Contents LIST OF TABLES (Continued) Page 36. Rezoning Scenario for the Eastern Neighborhoods and the Rest of the City: 235 Employment, Muni Lines Serving East SoMa Muni Lines Serving the Mission District Muni Lines Serving Showplace Square/Potrero Hill Muni Lines Serving the Central Waterfront Intersection Level of Service, Baseline, 2025 No Project And 272 Project Alternatives Weekday Pm Peak Hour 42. Effects on Muni Service Typical Sound Levels Measured in the Environment Future Noise Level Changes Along Selected Roadway Segments Summary of San Francisco Air Quality Monitoring Data ( ) Cancer Risk Due to Average Ambient Concentration of Toxic Air Contaminants 327 Measured in the Bay Area in On-Site Reported Releases for All Industries and All Chemicals in 328 San Francisco County in State and Federal Ambient Air Quality Standards Comparison of Population Growth Rates Estimated Worst-Case Baseline and Future CO Concentrations at 360 Selected Intersections 51. Estimated Greenhouse Gas Emissions (in CO 2 -equivalent tons per year) Open Space and Recreational Facilities in East Soma Open Space and Recreational Facilities in the Mission Open Space and Recreational Facilities in Showplace Square/Potrero Hill Open Space and Recreational Facilities in the Central Waterfront Potential Shadow on Parks at Buildout on Adjacent Properties Summer 393 Solstice (June 21), 5:48 AM to 7:35 PM PDT 57. Potential Shadow on Parks at Buildout on Adjacent Properties Winter 395 Solstice (December 21), 8:22 AM to 3:54 PM PST 58. Known and Potential Historical Resources and Age-eligible Properties in the 444 Eastern Neighborhoods 59. Potentially Affected Historical Resources and Age-eligible Properties 474 by Neighborhood 60. Hazardous Materials Acronyms 476 Case No E v Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans

11 CHAPTER I Introduction This environmental impact report (EIR) analyzes potential environmental effects associated with a range of rezoning options proposed by the San Francisco Planning Department for East SoMa, the Mission, Showplace Square/Potrero Hill, and the Central Waterfront neighborhoods, collectively referred to as the Eastern Neighborhoods, and also referred to in this document as the project area and the study area. The rezoning options that form the basis for the EIR analysis are discussed in depth in Chapter III, Project Description. These rezoning options ( Options A, B, and C ) are based on the options set forth in the Planning Department s February 2003 publication entitled, Community Planning in the Eastern Neighborhoods: Rezoning Options Workbook. However, the options described and analyzed in this EIR reflect revisions and refinements developed by Planning staff through approximately spring Accordingly, some of the proposed zoning revisions vary from those presented in the Workbook. Since early 2006, Planning staff and the community have continued to refine the proposed rezoning and to develop area plans for the Eastern Neighborhoods. Because this effort has been aimed at achieving relative consensus on a single rezoning proposal for each neighborhood, there has been no further development of the three side-by-side options that are presented and analyzed in this EIR. It is assumed that the ultimate rezoning proposal would fall within the range of the options analyzed in this EIR. A. Environmental Review The San Francisco Planning Department, serving as Lead Agency responsible for administering the environmental review for the proposed rezoning project, prepared an Initial Study and Environmental Review Checklist ( Initial Study ) and found that preparation of an environmental impact report (EIR) was needed. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires that before a decision can be made to approve a project that would pose potential adverse physical effects, an EIR must be prepared that fully describes the environmental effects of the project. The EIR is a public information document for use by governmental agencies and the public to identify and evaluate potential environmental impacts of a project, to recommend mitigation measures to lessen or eliminate significant adverse impacts, and to examine feasible alternatives to the project. The information Case No E I-1 Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans

12 I. Introduction contained in the EIR is reviewed and considered by the Lead Agency prior to a decision to approve, disapprove, or modify the Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans project. CEQA requires that the Lead Agency shall neither approve nor implement a project unless the project s significant environmental effects have been reduced to a less-than-significant level, essentially eliminating, avoiding, or substantially lessening the expected impact, except when certain findings are made. If the Lead Agency approves a project that will result in the occurrence of significant adverse impacts that cannot be mitigated to less-than-significant levels, the agency must state the reasons for its action in writing, demonstrate that its action is based on the EIR or other information in the record, and adopt a Statement of Overriding Considerations. The Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans Initial Study prepared by the Planning Department identified the environmental issues that should be addressed in the EIR and environmental issues that could be excluded from further analysis. On December 17, 2005, the City sent a Notice of Preparation (NOP) to governmental agencies and organizations and persons interested in the project. The Initial Study and NOP are included as Appendix A of this EIR. The NOP requested agencies and interested parties to comment on environmental issues that should be addressed in the EIR. The comment letters received in response to the Initial Study and the NOP are available for review, by appointment, as part of Case File No E. During the approximately 60-day period that the Draft EIR is available for public review, written comments on the adequacy of the environmental analysis presented therein may be submitted to the Planning Department. Responses to all substantive comments received on the adequacy of the Draft EIR analysis and submitted within the specified review period will be included and responded to in the Final EIR. Prior to approval of the project, the Planning Commission must certify the Final EIR and adopt environmental findings and a mitigation monitoring and reporting program (MMRP) for mitigation measures identified in this Draft EIR or modified by the Final EIR. B. Purpose of this EIR This EIR is intended as an informational document, that in and of itself does not determine whether a project will be approved, but aids the planning and decision-making process by disclosing the potential for significant and adverse impacts. In conformance with CEQA, California Public Resources Code, Section et. seq., this EIR provides objective information addressing the environmental consequences of the project and identifies possible means of reducing or avoiding its potentially significant impacts. Specific technical studies prepared for the environmental analysis of the Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans project include a transportation study by CHS Consulting Group, Wilbur Smith Associates, and LCW Inc. (2006); a historical resources background report by Case No E I-2 Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans

13 I. Introduction Carey & Co. Inc. (2006); a Technical Memorandum: Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Community Plans Archeological Context by Randall Dean, San Francisco Planning Department (2006), and a hazardous materials environmental records search (2005). These technical studies are detailed data reports and are available for review, by appointment, with the San Francisco Planning Department, in Case File No E. The CEQA Guidelines help define the role and expectations of this EIR as follows: Information Document. An EIR is an informational document which will inform public agency decision-makers and the public generally of the significant environmental effect(s) of a project, identify possible ways to minimize the significant effects, and describe reasonable alternatives to the project. The public agency shall consider the information in the EIR along with other information which may be presented to the agency (Section 15121(a)). Degree of Specificity. An EIR on a project such as the adoption or amendment of a comprehensive zoning ordinance or a local general plan should focus on the secondary effects that can be expected to follow from the adoption or amendment, but the EIR need not be as detailed as an EIR on the specific construction projects that might follow (Section 15146(b)). Standards for Adequacy of an EIR. An EIR should be prepared with a sufficient degree of analysis to provide decision-makers with information, which enables them to make a decision which intelligently takes account of environmental consequences. An evaluation of the environmental effects of a proposed project need not be exhaustive, but the sufficiency of an EIR is to be reviewed in the light of what is reasonably feasible. Disagreement among experts does not make an EIR inadequate, but the EIR should summarize the main points of disagreement among the experts. The courts have looked not for perfection but for adequacy, completeness, and a good faith effort at full disclosure (Section 15151). This EIR is a Program EIR. A Program EIR is appropriate for this project that will involve a series of actions that are 1) related geographically, 2) logical parts in a chain of contemplated actions, 3) connected as part of a continuing program, and 4) carried out under the same authorizing stature or regulatory authority and have similar environmental impacts that can be mitigated in similar ways (Section of the CEQA Guidelines). Accordingly, this EIR presents reasonable assumptions (as described in Chapter III, Project Description and Chapter IV, Environmental Setting and Impacts) about the overall types and levels of activities that the City anticipates under the project and describes their associated environmental impacts. Where necessary, the analysis is based on the most reasonably conservative assumptions so as to not understate the project s environmental effects. The CEQA Guidelines, Section 15382, define a significant effect on the environment as a substantial, or potentially substantial, adverse change in any of the physical conditions within the area affected by the project. Therefore, in identifying the significant impacts of the Case No E I-3 Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans

14 I. Introduction project, this EIR concentrates on its substantial physical effects and on mitigation measures to avoid, reduce, or otherwise alleviate those effects. C. Organization of the Draft EIR Following this chapter, this Draft EIR has been organized as follows: Chapter II, Summary. This chapter summarizes the EIR by providing a concise overview of the project, including the range of zoning options and project variants, the environmental impacts that would result from the project, the mitigation measures identified to reduce or eliminate these impacts. Chapter III, Project Description. This chapter discusses the project objectives, provides background data on the project location, describes the operational and physical characteristics of the three proposed rezoning options, and identifies required project approvals. The project description also outlines two variants to the proposed project applicable to portions of the Mission District the People s Plan, prepared by the Mission Anti-Displacement Partnership (March 2005), and An Alternative Future for the North East Mission Industrial Zone (NEMIZ), prepared by the Mission Coalition for Economic Justice and Jobs (MCEJJ) (March 2003). Chapter IV, Environmental Setting and Impacts. This chapter describes the project s existing setting (generally, the year 2000 for quantified data), environmental impacts, and cumulative impacts. Each environmental topic is discussed in a separate section within this chapter. Unlike a typical EIR, this EIR presents the impacts of three potential rezoning options (project alternatives) at an equal level of detail, along with impacts of the No- Project Alternative (future (2025) scenario without implementation of the proposed rezoning and area plans). Accordingly, this EIR has no separate detailed Alternatives chapter. Chapter V, Mitigation and Improvement Measures. This chapter presents mitigation measures to reduce or avoid significant impacts identified in Chapter IV. CEQA requires EIRs to include mitigation measures for identified significant impacts. Also included are applicable improvement measures that would reduce the severity of less-than-significant effects. Chapter VI, Significant Environmental Effects that Cannot Be Avoided if the Proposed Project is Implemented. This chapter presents recapitulates the significant environmental effects that cannot be mitigated to a less-than-significant level. Chapter VII, Alternatives to the Proposed Project. This chapter briefly summarizes the three project options (alternatives) analyzed in Chapter IV and identifies the environmentally superior alternative. Chapter VIII, Appendices. Included as appendices are the Initial Study prepared for the project by the Planning Department in December 2005; a summary of the draft area plan policies as they were drafted at the time of DEIR publication; and an analysis by the San Francisco Department of Public Health of public health effects related to air quality. Case No E I-4 Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans

15 I. Introduction Chapter IX, EIR Authors and Consultants. This chapter lists persons and affiliations of those persons who prepared this EIR. The EIR distribution list is not included in the EIR, but is available for review, by appointment, at the Planning Department, 1650 Mission Street, Suite 500. Unlike most EIRs, this EIR contains no separate chapter analyzing alternatives to the proposed project. This is because this EIR does not analyze a preferred project; instead, this EIR evaluates Rezoning Options A, B, and C, as well as a future No-Project scenario (i.e., the circumstance in which none of the rezoning options is adopted; also identified as the 2025 No-Project scenario), at an equal level of detail, as EIR alternatives, throughout this document. Chapter VII, Alternatives, identifies Option A as the Environmentally Superior Alternative, because Option A would result in a less-than-significant land use impact relative to land for PDR uses (as would Option B), would result in significant effects at fewer intersections than would Options B or C (or the No- Project Alternative), and would result in lesser transit impacts than would Options B or C (or the No-Project Alternative). Option A would also result in potentially significant impacts on fewer historical resources than Options B or C. D. Public Participation The CEQA Guidelines and Chapter 31 of the San Francisco Municipal Code encourage public participation in the planning and environmental review processes. The City will provide opportunities for the public to present comments and concerns regarding the CEQA and planning process. These opportunities will occur during a public review and comment period and a public hearing before the San Francisco Planning Commission. Written public comments may be submitted to the Planning Department during the specified public review and comment period, and written and oral comments may be presented at public hearings concerning the project. E. Related Studies Separate from this EIR, but as part of the Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans planning process, the Planning Department is undertaking additional studies related to community facilities and improvements and to socioeconomic analysis of the proposed rezoning and area plans. Public Benefits Analysis In conjunction with the development of neighborhood (or area ) plans and proposed zoning changes, the Planning Department is also undertaking an assessment of existing deficiencies and projected needs for certain services and amenities in the Eastern Neighborhoods including, but not limited to, education, recreation, and library facilities, community services, neighborhoodserving retail and businesses, transit and childcare. This Public Benefits Analysis has resulted in Case No E I-5 Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans

16 I. Introduction preparation of a needs matrix, based on public participation and input, depicting potential methods to meet identified community needs and implementation recommendations. The Public Benefits Analysis will lead to a quantification of existing and anticipated future needs for a variety of facilities and services and assessment of the ability of a number of different tools to meet the identified needs. Among the tools that could be evaluated and implemented to address community needs are planning policies, specific zoning requirements, taxes and impact fees, the establishment of service and/or assessment districts, and the direct provision of certain facilities by developers. This public benefits package will eventually be formulated into a Final Implementation Plan, containing a Public Improvements Program and a Funding Strategy to finance the identified improvements, which is intended to be incorporated into each of the area plans. Socioeconomic Studies Two studies have been completed in advance of the EIR that address socioeconomic issues related to the Eastern Neighborhoods planning process. PDR Supply/Demand Study In 2005, a report was prepared by Economic & Planning Systems (EPS) assessing the estimated future demand for land and building space to accommodate production, distribution and repair (PDR) businesses, which then compared that estimated demand to the anticipated future supply of land and building space where PDR businesses could be accommodated. 1 The EPS report concluded that the supply of both land and building space for PDR uses in San Francisco is likely to continue to decline if left to unconstrained market forces and/or current zoning. The EPS report cautioned that the term PDR as currently defined is overly broad, in that it encompasses a wide variety of activities that have very different outlooks for employment growth, land demand, and supportable real estate prices, making it difficult to draw generalizations about the ability of PDR uses to function effectively in the future economy of San Francisco. Having set forth the foregoing caveat, the report nevertheless found that Option B of the proposed Eastern Neighborhoods rezoning (which is among the options that are the subject of this EIR analysis) would provide for an adequate supply of land to meet the future demand for PDR uses, if the available land were to be used at somewhat greater intensity than under existing conditions. The report noted that the City would have to actively work to retain PDR uses in the future, by allowing certain PDR uses to remain in place despite not being in areas zoned for PDR use, by promoting the inclusion of PDR space in mixed-use areas or developments, and by allowing only PDR uses in certain zoning districts. 1 Economic & Planning Systems, Inc., Supply/Demand Study for Production, Distribution, and Repair (PDR) in San Francisco s Eastern Neighborhoods, April 15, 2005; page 7. Available on the internet at: Case No E I-6 Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans

17 I. Introduction Socioeconomic Impacts Analysis This report, published in 2007 and prepared by Hausrath Economics Group, presents the results of a socioeconomic impact analysis of the proposed rezoning for the Eastern Neighborhoods. 2 It presents baseline information for on-going community planning efforts, focusing on the residents, workers, and businesses that will be influenced by outcomes under either the proposed rezoning options or continuation of existing market trends and development patterns. The socioeconomic impacts analysis report is an assessment of the cumulative change expected under proposed rezoning, comparing those changes to what would otherwise be expected under a baseline in the absence of rezoning. The socioeconomic impact analysis report found that, because the proposed rezoning would almost double the housing development potential in San Francisco, there would be less pressure in the Eastern Neighborhoods than would be expected in the absence of the project, giving existing residents and newcomers alike a greater choice of housing options. The report noted, however, that without affirmative programs to preserve potential affordable housing sites in the Eastern Neighborhoods, the proposed rezoning would reduce the number of such sites available. The report also found that, while some existing PDR uses would be displaced by new housing or other development (and displacement would also occur without the proposed rezoning), the project, by providing a stable, albeit smaller, supply of land for PDR uses, with restrictions that limit incompatible development, would also result in better long-term outcomes for many other PDR businesses. The socioeconomic report cautioned, however, that the proposed project would not resolve the lingering tension between the need for incubator locations for emerging enterprises and the need to reserve a land supply for PDR where demand from higher-value uses and speculation do not disrupt traditional PDR clusters. The report also found that land use regulation alone would not adequately address the wide range of community needs and planning goals, and that new financial resources, new programs, and interagency coordination to better target existing programs and resources are required to complement the proposed land use regulations. F. Concurrent Planning Efforts A number of additional planning activities are being conducted separate from, but concurrent with the Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans effort. 2 Hausrath Economics Group, San Francisco s Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning: Socioeconomic Impacts, Draft for Public Review, March Available on the internet at: Case No E I-7 Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans

18 I. Introduction Eastern Neighborhoods Community Health Impact Assessment Separate from the Planning Department s efforts but also related to the Eastern Neighborhoods planning process, the San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH), in collaboration with a representative multi-stakeholder community council composed of more than 20 diverse organizations, conducted an Eastern Neighborhoods Community Health Impact Assessment (ENCHIA), an 18-month-long study on how land use development can best promote conditions required for health. Using a set of methods broadly referred to as Health Impact Assessment, ENCHIA reflected growing scientific understanding that optimal health could not be achieved by health services and individual behaviors alone but through healthful neighborhood conditions including adequate housing; access to public transit, schools, parks and public spaces; safe routes for pedestrians and bicyclists; meaningful and productive employment; unpolluted air, soil, and water; and, cooperation, trust, and civic participation. ENCHIA was organized to explicitly call out the health relationships to these issues. Completed in May 2006, the study resulted, in part, in development of the Healthy Development Measurement Tool, which DPH indicates can be used to evaluate a plan or project against broad set of health goals, measure progress towards those goals, and highlight where conflicts exist between goals. 3 ENCHIA has also resulted in a number of process outcomes. These include achieving an increased understanding of the human health impacts of development; the use of public health rhetoric and evidence in public policy dialogues and debates; new working relationships among members of the community council with complementary interests; and, a broadening of the horizons of a government agency. The Healthy Development Measurement Tool represents the most significant product of this process. Participants in ENCHIA envision that the Healthy Development Measurement Tool might ultimately be used in a comprehensive way by many City agencies in planning, plan and project review, and agency-specific planning and budgeting. DPH is committed to developing and maintaining the Healthy Development Measurement Tool, supporting pilot applications in San Francisco, and monitoring the progress of community health indicators. Backstreets Business Advisory Board Created by the Board of Supervisors in accordance with Ordinance No , the Back Streets Business Advisory Board is charged with seeking ways to develop and implement focused policies and programs to retain and attract PDR businesses. This ordinance calls for a fourteenmember board: eight members appointed by the Board of Supervisors, and one member each representing the following agencies: Mayor s Office of Economic and Workforce Development; 3 Information on ENCHIA can be found at the San Francisco Department of Public Health website, accessed November 22, Case No E I-8 Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans

19 I. Introduction Mayor s Office of Community Development; Planning Department; Port of San Francisco; San Francisco Redevelopment Agency; and Small Business Commission. The effort is consistent with and furthers the Commerce and Industry Element of the General Plan, which calls for a balanced local economy where well-paying jobs are available to the widest breadth of the San Francisco labor force. The research phase of this study is complete and final conclusions, including a series of recommendations, are to be published in Biosciences Task Force By Resolution , the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 2003 charged the Bioscience Task Force with developing recommended policies for consideration by the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors on land use and zoning controls for bioscience industries in areas outside of the Mission Bay, Hunters Point Shipyard and Hunters Point Redevelopment Areas, including how to define a land use classification and zoning districts for the Planning Code that includes biosciences research and development, which allows any combination of bioscience office uses and laboratory used and bioscience manufacturing uses; and where to permit as of right (with size constraints), conditionally permit, or prohibit bioscience. The task force issued its report in February 2005, recommending, among other things, that the Planning Code be amended to include specific bioscience land use classifications, with bioscience treated as a mixed use since it includes elements of research and development, office, warehouse, and animal care uses and that bioscience overlay zones be created in parts of Mission Bay, West SoMa, the Central Waterfront, the Northeast Mission, Showplace Square, and Bayview-Hunters Point. The task force also recommended that all bioscience companies meet minimum requirements for development of safety procedures and that they be assessed a fee to fund Department of Public Health oversight. The task force also set forth a series of economic development recommendations to assist biotechnology companies gain City approval and City residents who could work for those companies gain needed job training, as well as a series of recommendations aimed at increasing City oversight of the biotechnology industry to allay community concerns about health and safety. Arts Task Force In December 2004, the Board of Supervisors passed legislation establishing the Arts Task Force to investigate the Arts in San Francisco, and to make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor whether and how to update or restructure the various elements of the City s agencies, programs and policies concerning the Arts in San Francisco. The objectives of the Task Force were to better achieve the goals of sustaining community-based non-profit arts organizations, to build on the City s existing arts economy and increase employment, and to expand City resources for affordable housing and studio/workspaces to help retain artists in San Francisco. Case No E I-9 Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans

20 I. Introduction The San Francisco Arts Task Force Report makes a number of recommendations concerning the arts in San Francisco related to land use and physical planning, which could be considered by decision-makers in the context of the proposed Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning project. A summary of the Report s recommendations include: providing enhanced revenue to support for the arts in San Francisco; expanding arts resources in the City, programming and services to the arts and to the public; strengthening infrastructure and management for the arts in San Francisco, including establishing a Department of Arts and Culture and an Arts Planning Council; and, preparing a plan to implement recommendations contained in the Arts Task Force Report in the short and long-term. All of the above reports, studies, and documentation will be taken into account by decisionmakers, including the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors, as they consider the proposed Eastern Neighborhoods rezoning and the proposed area plans. Case No E I-10 Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans

21 CHAPTER II Summary A. Project Description (p. 1) Introduction To encourage new housing while preserving sufficient lands for necessary production distribution and repair (PDR) (generally, light industrial) businesses and activities, the San Francisco Planning Department proposes changes in the Planning Code (zoning) controls, as well as amendments to the General Plan, for an area of approximately 2,200 gross acres on the eastern side of San Francisco. The proposal would cover the eastern portion of the South of Market ( East SoMa ), the Mission, Showplace Square/Potrero Hill, and the Central Waterfront. In this EIR, these four subareas are referred to collectively as the Eastern Neighborhoods or the project area. In 2002, the City had imposed temporary land use controls in response to conflicts between market-rate residential and other uses in the project area. In 2003, the Planning Department published a draft document entitled Community Planning in the Eastern Neighborhoods: Rezoning Options Workbook, which included some areas not part of the current project, such as the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood and Visitacion Valley, both now the subject of separate Redevelopment Agency planning, and the western portion of the South of Market Area (Western SoMa), which is undergoing a separate community-based planning process. Meanwhile, in December 2002, the Planning Department published the draft Central Waterfront Neighborhood Plan as part of the Better Neighborhoods 2002 planning process. Because many of the concerns that affect the Eastern Neighborhoods are also applicable to the Central Waterfront, and because of the Central Waterfront s proximity to the Eastern Neighborhoods study area, the Planning Department has determined that a single EIR that will encompass planned rezoning and land use changes in both the remaining Eastern Neighborhoods and the Central Waterfront area. The Central Waterfront thus is considered one of the Eastern Neighborhoods for purposes of the EIR. At present, the four Eastern Neighborhoods that are the subject of this EIR are governed by temporary zoning policies enacted by the Planning Commission. In general, the temporary zoning policies follow the spirit of the proposed rezoning project, in that they recognize the need for new housing opportunities and a mix of housing types, while acknowledging that a balanced economy requires retaining sufficient land for PDR businesses that provide business services to the City, as Case No E S-1 Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans

22 well as relatively higher-wage employment. The resolutions outlining these interim controls and policies are summarized in Section IV.B., Plans and Policies. Planning Department staff and the Planning Commission continue working to refine the proposed rezoning and area plans during preparation of this EIR. Because the intent of this EIR is to analyze a broad range of potential effects associated with the rezoning options in the Rezoning Options Workbook in order to provide adequate CEQA review for the proposal that eventually emerges as the preferred option. The analysis in this EIR is, therefore, generally based on the three options presented in the Workbook, with certain modifications made by Planning staff based on community input. This EIR does not evaluate any project-level proposals, but rather is programmatic in its analysis. The project is intended to permit housing development in some areas currently zoned for industrial use while protecting an adequate supply of land and buildings for PDR employment and businesses. PDR uses are, generally, light industrial in nature. The Planning Department broad goals and objectives for the rezoning options and area plan project are to develop a rezoning proposal that reflects the land use needs and priorities of each neighborhoods stakeholders and that meets citywide goals for residential and industrial land use; identify appropriate locations for housing in the City s industrially zoned land to meet a citywide need for more housing, and affordable housing in particular; retain an adequate supply of industrial land to meet the current and future needs of the City s production, distribution, and repair businesses and the city s economy; and improve the quality of the residential and nonresidential places that future development will create over that which would occur under the existing zoning. (See Appendix B for the draft objectives and policies from each of the four draft area plans.) Project Components The project would involve the introduction of new use (zoning) districts, including districts that would permit at least some PDR uses in combination with commercial uses, districts mixing residential and commercial uses, residential and PDR uses, and new residential-only districts. The new districts would generally replace existing industrial, commercial, and residential single-use districts. In addition to zoning changes, the project would include revisions to the existing Central Waterfront and South of Market Area Plans within the San Francisco General Plan and the preparation and adoption of new area plans for East SoMa, the Mission, Showplace Square/Potrero Hill and the Central Waterfront. As well, there may be other changes to the General Plan to bring it in conformance with any proposed plans. Proposed Use Districts and Height Limits For East SoMa, the Mission, and Showplace Square/Potrero Hill the Planning Department has developed three rezoning options, designated Options A, B, and C in the Rezoning Options Workbook. (The draft Central Waterfront neighborhood proposes a single rezoning option.) Case No E S-2 Eastern Neighborhoods Rezoning and Area Plans